PROM / KING by Saba Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling Saba’s Poignant Narrative of Growth and Loss
Lyrics
Sleepin’ peacefully, never needed a pile of drugs
Everybody was college-bound
No dollar amounts
In God we trust, senior year my prom ain’t had no party bus
My cousin hit me on Facebook, like “What shorty you takin’?”
I’m lyin’, I’m playin’, I’m saying “I got one taken, I’m waitin’ on her response”
Wrote her a 3 page letter, it’s 3 days later, never hit me back, she broke my heart
So now he IM’ing me shit like, “Yo’ is shorty bad?”
I pretend not to be depressed, she never wrote me back
I hit him back like “Yo’, well fuck her, it’s on to the next”
I wrote that message thinkin’ I’m awkward, prolly’ would never have sex
You know in high school 16 you prolly late
My cousin hit me back, “Don’t trip, bro. I got you a date.”
So he sent me this link to some girl I had never seen
He said to call and tell her “Walter said that you with me.”
I think about it for a minute, like what’s his intentions?
I mean, we never really got along or used to kick it
In fact, if I remember vividly, he picked on me
He used to beat me up and take my sneakers every family visit
I’m skeptical to let her know I’m Walter little cousin
What if this shit all a joke, but then again, what if it wasn’t?
Would I really risk the chance of me potentially fucking on some stranger daughter ’cause I barely know if I can trust him?
Prolly not
I finally called her, tell her Walter sent me, “My name Tahj”
She asked me what’s the color scheme that we gon’ wear to prom
I’m acting like I’m not excited, tryna play it off
“So what’s the car we’re taking?”
“Worst come worst my mom can take us”
I called Walter, to thank him
He said don’t trip and just wear black
He said she cool and they go back
If any problems, hit him back
I never had to, but now we’re in tune
He facebook messaged me like, “Sorry not to be a nuisance…” but he like 30 dollars short on all his prom suite shit
I’m like, “I got you, cuz. That’s the least that I can do.”
He tell me send him the addy and he’ll slide after school
I’m like, “Ok, bet.”
Never knew where he stayed at
He walked down the street, hella surprised
“This where y’all place at?”
Uncle Carl, Auntie Deborah, my cousin Rena
And I’m surprised too, my family knew, kept us a secret
Me and cuz stay down the street, living different lives
Everyday he on the bus, me, I get a ride
I gave him 30 on the porch, he never went inside
He tell me “Thank you” then he walked back home with a smile
He tryna hide it, but I see his dimple
I’m thinking, “Damn, that transaction was simple”
I’m talking shit, I know he hoop
I’m like, “Aye, where the rim, bro?”
He like, “Tomorrow, if you free, you prolly weak as shit, tho.”
I know my brother not
So all 3 of us went to the park and ran some niggas off the court
I’m hella passive, I was passing, I ain’t have to score
The next day the prom, I couldn’t sleep, I stayed up
My granddad gave me a condom then walked away, didn’t say nothin’
She hopped out of her car and said that her name was Jada
My heart’s racin’, I’m focused, I’m tryna keep it playa’
Gave her the croissant, or corsage or whatever the fuck my mom handed me and said, “Now put it on her hand, Malik”
Family ties
My grandfather taught me how to tie up a tie
Because my dad lived in NY
That’s prolly why I was shy, so self-conscious
Took pictures on the porch, and then we headed for the prom and
Walter went on prom the same day, but to a different place
So he text me like, “Cuz’, this the spot. Let’s meet up later and bring Jada through.”
Prom flashed, I kept it cool
We show up to the function where she brought a change of clothes
I’m looking around like, “Damn, I don’t know nobody.”
We at this party out West, and Jada left to get dressed
I’m fakin’ like I’m sending texts
Some stranger get really close, I swear that I hear his breath
Then he put a knife to my neck, gave me the run down like
“Jada my sister. And if you hit her, fuck her, make her, miss ya, I’ma kill ya!”
At this point, I’m just exhausted
Wondering where the fuck’s Walter
He shows up like 30 minutes after our altercation
I never mentioned it to him
He kinda overprotective
And I know if I tell him, that he’ll beat this nigga’s skull in
Turn his body a skeleton, and our night’ll end terrible
I exhale and say, “Fuck it”, and I just chose to let it go
Walt went to St. Louis
Had a full ride for his hoopin’, him and his coach got into it
Now he back home doin’ music, aye
I was at Columbia, again a straight A student
I had one B in a hip hop class, I thought that shit was stupid
He transferred to Robert Morris, oh it’s lit, we down the street
My class let out at 2:40, and his class let out at 3
Mama asked me where the hell I been and where the hell I be
“I’m with Walter, mom” I say
I keep walkin’ in here late, I might fall off in your bed
I get girls now, I get laid
I get caught up following Walter, I’m a product of my age
He talk to erry’ girl in downtown Chicago
Wingman, I cannot I fly tho
He was in Cal white Impala, he was that nigga in the party
Awfully popular for someone that they barely mention
Plus we from the part of city that they barely mention
Just logged into Twitter and somehow we was barely mentioned
We signed our names on the Open Mic’ list and then they skipped us
And then they skipped us again like a week later
Like, obviously this fuckin’ host can’t read the paper
Hella’ intimidating, the big guy didn’t have to flex
So Walter walked to the host and said, “This the name you’re calling next”
Bullied our way to the stage and then overstayed our welcome
An apple never get too far from the tree that fell from
Just like my father tryna do music and hope I make it
Walter joined me for the journey said the city waiting
PIVOT
Walter invincible, dodged death like a mad magician
More times than a mathematician
I’m in LA working on “Bucket List” project
I get a call and get a fishy feeling
Normally Walt joke on the phone, this time he over serious
My heart droppin’
I’m like, “yo, what is it?!”
He say he with T.Y on the highway and some niggas just tried to kill him
Emptied the clip on the car, but somehow they didn’t hit him
Sometimes I fucking hate Chicago, ’cause I hate this feelin’
Innocent niggas get shot at, in the broad day, the A.M
I asked him for a play-by-play of how their whole day went
He said he went to XSport, and they ran a full court
And I can not retort without thinking that this can’t be the reason
“So what else you do? What about T.Y? Is he still cool?
Where were you on your way from, and where were you on your way to?
He say he just left for dinner at a friend crib, and that’s it
He say “Tahj, don’t do shit but smoke, Honestly Saba, that’s it”
Give him sympathy, another case of mistaken identity
The news prolly’ gon’ run this, as two gangs from different streets
Police questionin’ him like he just shot at a trooper
My boy walked away unharmed, and we did Lollapalooza, yea
6 months pass by
Everyday we celebrate, everyday a better day
I just dropped “Bucket List”, Walter bout to drop a tape
Everything goin’ perfect, couldn’t paint a better way
PIVOT gang is on the way, we just sold out Lincoln Hall
Then I went to talk to Sway
I got back home and got back on it, ’cause Walt was down’ tour dates
Sendin’ me links to songs that he made
Kid Cudi, we are not ridin’ no waves, aye
Grandma made us play, we played 2K, that’s just a day before
Fatima got a show tomorrow, he text me “We in that hoe”
I went to the barbershop, the first thing the next mornin’
Then I got up with Legit we supposed to do some recordin’
10 minutes into this session, I got a call from a number that I don’t got saved, but I answer anyways
She says, “Hello, Malik, have you or Squeak talked to my son today? He was just on the train.”
We got in the car, but we didn’t know where to drive to
Fuck it, wherever you are my nigga, we’ll come and find you
Just another day in the ghetto
Oh, the streets bring sorrow
Can’t get out today with a schedule
I just hope I make it ’til tomorrow
I just hope I make it ’til tomorrow
I just hope I make it ’til tomorrow
I just hope I make it ’til tomorrow
I just hope I make it ’til tomorrow
I just hope I make it ’til tomorrow
I just hope I make it ’til tomorrow
In the genre of hip-hop, it’s not uncommon to find narratives woven intricately through verses and beats, telling stories of personal experiences, societal issues, or vivid memories. However, it’s rare to find a song that captures the essence of life’s fleeting nature as poignantly as Saba’s ‘PROM / KING’. The track hails from the Chicago rapper’s critically acclaimed 2018 album ‘Care For Me’, and is a seminal work that bridges personal memory with universal themes of growth, family, and mortality.
‘PROM / KING’ is a seven-and-a-half-minute journey through Saba’s teenage years into adulthood, with a narrative that’s both hauntingly personal and resonantly collective. The song commands a dualistic nature—a celebratory recollection of Saba’s high school prom entwined with the tragic loss of his cousin and close confidant, Walter. It’s a masterful demonstration of storytelling in music, and as we peel apart the layers, we discover a complex web of emotions that pulls in any listener with its raw sincerity.
High School Tales and the Tapestry of Youth
Saba captures the carefree spirit of high school in the song’s opening lines, filled with nostalgic references to a simpler time when life’s biggest worry was who to take to prom. Such an innocuous beginning sets the listener at ease, only to be disrupted by the highs and lows of adolescence. The song then delves into Saba’s personal anecdotes, detailing the anxiety of prom dates and the dynamics of family relationships, crafting a relatable coming-of-age tale that resonates with anyone who’s been caught in the whirlwind of teenage years.
Through his narrative, Saba places the listener directly into his shoes, sharing his moments of vulnerability. The uncertainty, the excitement, the peer pressures—all the emotional turbulence of youth, Saba lays bare. It’s a captivating introspective on the brink of adulthood, filled with the raw emotions and formative experiences that carve out our individual pathways.
Family Intersections and Unspoken Bonds
The song dives into the complexities of family dynamics, focusing on Saba’s relationship with his cousin Walter. Initially, their relationship is painted with a history of childhood conflict, but as they grow older, this transforms into a bond of support and mutual respect. The detailed storytelling reveals how family can be both a source of pain and profound camaraderie, often ebbing and flowing over time.
Through ‘PROM / KING’, listeners acknowledge that families exist in various forms and shades, sometimes hidden close by, as with the case of Saba and Walter living down the street from each other. This reveals the song’s layered meanings about understanding, forgiveness, and the hidden ties that connect us, often unveiled through serendipity and shared life events.
Navigating the Prom Night: Euphoria Tinged with Real-World Threats
As the prom night unfolds, Saba narrates the quintessential high school milestone while interlacing darker undertones. A joyous occasion riddled with first-time experiences becomes a vignette for real-world perils when Saba faces a threatening altercation. This juxtaposition illustrates the precarious balance of navigating adolescence while coming face to face with the stark realities outside the sheltered halls of high school.
Saba’s decision to withhold the violent encounter from Walter underscores the duality of protecting those we love against the detriment of our peace. This restraint opens discourse on the decisions that silently shape lives and the consequences of the paths we ultimately choose, or ones that are chosen for us.
The Concealed Crescendo: The Hidden Meaning of ‘PROM / KING’
The song’s hidden meaning reveals itself as the track progresses from a storytelling piece into a eulogy for Walter. The shift in tone is subtle yet profound, with Saba recounting Walter’s transition from promising basketball talent to a victim of street violence. It speaks volumes on the unpredictability of life and the abruptness of loss, especially in communities plagued by gun violence.
In many ways, ‘PROM / KING’ is a reflection on mortality. Saba’s vulnerability lays in acknowledging not just the finality of death but the resounding impact of losing someone integral to your personal growth. The hidden meaning is a somber meditation on how, despite our efforts and aspirations, life’s brutal randomness can quickly derail the best-laid plans.
Memorable Lines That Echo Through Generations
Phrases like ‘I just hope I make it ’til tomorrow’ ripple with haunting prescience, underscoring the pervasive sense of precariousness that permeates certain life experiences. Its repetition becomes a mantra, a prayer from those who live under the threat of violence—a reminder that life’s promises are often snatched away too soon.
There’s much to be garnered from Saba’s contemplative poetry. He strings together words in a way that they linger long after the song’s conclusion, offering solace, understanding, and a voice to the complexities of growing up amidst hope and tragedy. The narrative of ‘PROM / KING’ is not only Saba’s but a story that many can see themselves in, filled with lines that reverberate with truth and raw humanity.
